


A Great Miracle Happened There

by 852_Prospect_Archivist



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Holiday: xmas, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-11 05:30:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/794444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/852_Prospect_Archivist/pseuds/852_Prospect_Archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim learns a little about Hanukkah.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Great Miracle Happened There

Disclaimers: These characters don't belong to me, I was only experimenting with them. I hope you find the experiment successful. Jim and Blair belong to Pet Fly Productions and Paramount Television.

Notes: This is my first go at a Sentinel Story although those of you familiar with QL fandom will recognize my name. I fought it for a long time, but as the saying goes, constant exposure does wear one down. 

Thanks to Kathy for the cyberhugs and to Ruth for being there these past few months. I really am glad you're my friends. Happy Holidays!

Summary: Jim learns a little about Hanukkah.

Warnings: None.

Send me some comments if you have any at CarolZ2071@aol.com. Be gentle, this is my first post afterall. :-)

A Great Miracle Happened There

by 

Carol Zara

Blair Sandburg had had just about enough of December and there were still three weeks left to go until 1997 was history. Each year the month rolled around, he wondered why they just couldn't go right from Thanksgiving to the New Year and skip everything in-between. Cascade at this time of year was cold and damp and the sun rose far too late in the morning and set far too early in the evening for his liking. What made it even worse was the hoopla about the holidays. Since mid- October he had observed the yearly commercialization of Christmas insidiously take over the entire city. It would make a good topic for a dissertation, if he didn't already have one. 

First the stores in the mall brought out their display of ornaments, quickly followed by the cartons of cards, ribbons, bows and boxes. Then, the neighborhoods began decking the halls with lights and wreaths. Each house sought to outdo its neighbor with the energy draining displays. Light up reindeer appeared to be in season this year. It seemed as if every lawn sported one or a more likely, eight of the antlered beasts. Christmas carols began to be played on every radio station on the dial. Costumed Santa's helpers, began appearing on the corners, shaking their bells and chanting "Ho Ho Ho", urging passers-by to drop a few coins in the pail to help those less fortunate. It rankled him that this was one of the only times during the year that the homeless and needy were thought about by the majority of the population of the city. 

At the precinct they had sacrificed a tree, a poor living thing, to decorate in honor of the holiday. While Jim and Ryf argued about the placement of ornaments and tinsel, Simon, by virtue of being the tallest among them, got to put the star at the top of the tree. Blair just sat with his feet up on the desk, watching and wondering how grown men could be brought down to such a level. He thought his foul mood had gone unnoticed until Jim called out to him.

"Hey Chief, you better stop pouting or you know who isn't going to leave you any presents under the tree," his partner threatened. That was the final straw.

"In case you haven't noticed, I don't care if *you know who* leaves a present or not. All this holiday stuff is so *not* me." The retort was out of his mouth before he even realized it. The other men just stared at him. He stood up quickly and reached for his backpack. " And since there doesn't appear to be anything *major* going on in Major Crimes this afternoon, I'm going to the university and actually do some work."

"Well Bah Humbug." Blair caught the comment, uttered under Brown's breath, just as he was headed out the door. Oh well, let them all think he was a Scrooge. He really didn't care. The sooner this holiday was over with and people got back to normal, the better, in his humble opinion. 

Once outside, Blair skipped the bus stop, deciding to walk for a while. The fresh air calmed him a bit and gave him a chance to think about what was really bothering him. It was more than a bad case of Seasonal Affect Disorder. Much more.

Lately he'd been feeling more than a bit awkward around Jim. While he studied many cultures as an anthropologist, he had never made such an intense study of a living individual before. He found himself watching his partner all the time. Studying his moves, the way his muscles rippled under his clothes, the tight curve of Jim's ass. The sound of his voice, giving commands in the field and across the table when they shared a meal. The way Jim's stunning blue eyes twinkled when he smiled. The feeling of Jim's flesh against his own, when the other man brushed passed him in the hallway or pulled him out of the range of danger in the field. Things that had nothing to do with the older man's enhanced senses or the pursuit of his Ph.D. 

Their Sentinel/Guide relationship had forced a closeness that he had never experienced. As a youth, he never stayed anywhere long enough to form any long term friendships. He was a loner and good at it. But somewhere along the line, Blair and Jim became friends in addition to partners and now that he had a friend Blair realized what he had been missing. Knowing he was needed was a responsibility that he had grown to enjoy. And the scary part was that he wanted more, much more, and that was something he dare not even hope to come to pass. Immersed in these thoughts, Blair wandered far from his original destination. 

He did eventually make it to the University, where a combination of paperwork and student crises kept him busy for the remainder of the afternoon. Busy was good, it kept his mind off ... other stuff, but he finally ran out of things to do and headed home. 

At the threshold to the loft, Blair heard music from the stereo and knew Jim was home. He felt a bit contrite over his earlier outburst and was wondering how to apologize. He took a deep breath before opening the door. "Hey, something smells good," he greeted as he tossed his keys into the basket. He avoided making eye contact with the bigger man, shrugging out of his coat and hanging it on the hook.

"It was my turn to make dinner so I made some pasta and sauce. There's some salad in the fridge. Things go okay up at Rainier?" Jim looked up from the pot he was stirring to ask the question. There was no reproof his voice, it was as if Blair's tirade had not even happened.

"Yeah. I got most of the final exam written. Just two more classes and we'll be into winter break. It's been a hell of a semester. I don't think I've ever had a group of students who were so uninspiring. Maybe I'll get lucky and a few of them will decide not to go for Anthro 102, " he found himself rattling on. "Mail's on the table," Jim indicated with a nod of his head, when Blair paused for a breath. "Something from your mother, I think."

"Where's it postmarked? Borneo? Katmandu?" Blair chuckled, knowing Naomi's traveling tendencies. He wandered over to the coffee table where a large, rectangular box sat. It was wrapped in plain brown paper with no distinguishing markings. The handwriting on the package was clearly his mother's and the postmark indicated that the package had originated at someplace called Stallion's Gate, New Mexico. Shrugging his shoulders at the mystery, he slid his finger under the tape and let the paper fall away. Stuck to the top of the box was a small folded note card. He opened it and read.

"Dear Blair, Sorry I can't be with you for Hanukkah. Know that I love you and remember that miracles happen every day. You just have to know where to look for them. 

Tell Jim I say hi. Love, Naomi

Blair opened the box and peeled back the tissue paper and let out a small gasp as he recognized the collection of objects inside. This brought Jim to stand beside the couch and peer over his shoulder.

"Whad'ya get?" the older man asked curiously. Blair barely heard him, as he was lost in the memories evoked by the box. Memories of his childhood. Good memories. He couldn't believe that his mother had kept it all these years; then again it was just like her to surprise him this way.

Blair slowly took the items out one by one. First there was a small container of brightly colored rolled objects. The Sentinel's nose told him they were beeswax candles. Next, Blair removed a small book with Hebrew lettering and finally he removed a brass candelabrum. It had nine branches, the one in the middle higher than the rest. His hands gently traced the smooth, cool finish of the Hanukkah menorah.

"Chief?" Jim's voice roused Blair from his reverie. He looked around to see that Jim had now taken a seat beside him on the couch.

"Huh?" he asked.

"Get something good from your Mom?" Jim expanded his question. Blair found himself smiling and nodding his head. "Yeah." He was at an odd loss for words. He put the menorah down on the coffee table and picked up the candles. He took one out, fingered the rough surface and then gently replaced it in the box

"So. Are you going to share or are you just going to sit there," Jim prompted. "You haven't been so quiet since," Jim shook his head, "you've never been so quiet," he finished as he fixed Blair with a stare.

"Naomi sent me some stuff for Hanukkah. I had almost forgotten about it this year. I can't believe that she remembered."

"Well you know moms," Jim shifted uncomfortably on the couch and a sudden idea came into Blair's head. His mother's card had included a greeting for Jim, hadn't it?

"Did you have anything to do with this?" He questioned sharply. Jim fidgeted for a moment, avoiding meeting his eyes, but finally answered. "Well, I noticed how uptight you were about the Christmas thing, so I got a hold of your mother...."

"You *got a hold of* my mother?" Blair's pitch went up with the question. "How?' Naomi was usually impossible to track town. Jim must have gone to a great deal of trouble to find her.

"I have my ways," Jim eluded. "Anyway, I asked her if there was anything that would pick up your spirits and she said she knew just the thing. And I think it worked didn't it?"

"Yes," Blair admitted. "I'm sorry I've been such a pill about the holidays" he felt the need to apologize. He wanted to say more, to tell Jim what was really bothering him, but he couldn't. He couldn't risk losing the friendship that meant more to him than anything else in the world.

"Hey," Jim shrugged off the apology, "no prob. Not everybody has to have the Christmas sprit. Sometimes I forget that," Jim offered his own apology. "This," Jim said, pointing to the candle holder and changing the subject, "looks really old." "It is." Blair picked up the menorah and polished the brass surface with the sleeve of his flannel shirt until the surface gleamed. He held it up to show Jim. "It belonged to Naomi's father. Hanukkah was the one holiday we always celebrated, no matter where we were or who we were with. Naomi liked to say it was like spreading a little bit of light, in the darkness of winter."

"I don't really know much about Hanukkah," Jim confessed. "I always thought of it as the Jewish equivalent of Christmas. Tell me what it's all about, Chief." 

Blair wasn't offended by Jim's ignorance, rather he was touched by his friend's desire to know more and share in Blair's own holiday. He began to relate the tale of the Macabees' fight against the Syrians, using his hands and his voice to lend impact to the story. He continued to talk, striving to recall all the details he learned as a child and losing track of time in the process. It wasn't until he was almost at the end of the story that he looked up at his partner. "When the temple was recaptured, only enough oil was found to light the lamp for one day. But, as we are told, a miracle happened. The lamp burned for eight days and eight nights. So every year, we remember the victory and the miracle that happened. It's a celebration about fighting for what you believe in. Reclaiming what belongs to you and believing that miracles can happen if you have faith." As he finished, Blair gaze met Jim's and he was captured in the mesmerizing blue glow of Jim's eyes.

Something was happening as he sat there on the couch, spinning out the tale to Jim. Something akin to the miracle that happened in Syria. He felt powerless to stop it. He didn't want to.

Jim was leaning closer, seeming to hang on every word and Blair couldn't even hear what he was saying, he was so focused on Jim's face, trying to read the expressions on the handsome face. He couldn't believe what he was seeing there. Was the desire real? Or only a reflection of his own feelings? Jim leaned closer and then closer until finally, impossibly, he pressed his lips to Blair's in a gentle kiss. 

If that wasn't miracle enough, the first kiss was followed by a second. Only this one wasn't gentle. It was passionate and deep and when it was over, it left them both breathless. 

"Jim?" he gasped when he finally found his voice. 

"I love you, Chief. I have for a long time. I just didn't know how to tell you. But hearing you talk about Hanukkah and the Macabee's and claiming what belongs to you, made me decide to tell you. *You* belong to me. I need you."

Blair fell into Jim's arms, "I love you too, Big Guy. I love you, too." Blair responded. The sat there in awakward silence for a moment, not knowing what to say. Jim reached into the box and extracted the one remaining item, a small wooden top. He gave it a twist and it spun on the table for several long minutes before it began to wobble and finally came to rest on one side. 

"And what's this for?" Jim asked as he picked up the top again. Blair took it from him and spun it himself. He stopped it mid-spin and held it up for Jim to see. "It's a dreidel. Kids play a kind of game with it. Each letter stands for something," Blair turned the derailed around in his hands, showing Jim a letter on each side. "Nes - Gadol- Hayah - Shem," Blair's voice trailed off [extra space here] as he realized the meaning of the words he was reciting. "Which means?" 

"A great miracle happened there." Blair's voice shook as the Sentinel took his hands in his own. Blair could feel his hands trembling, too, knowing what was going to happen.

"Here, too, Chief. Here, too," Jim leaned in for another kiss. 

Maybe December wasn't such a bad month after all.

*****

End


End file.
